Tag Archives: Woodward

Zorah Quattlebaum – photographer

September 19, 2016 Jordan

Pictures are worth 1000 words. Pictures tell a story and it’s through stories that people learn, remember, and believe.

My blog is based on more girls skateboarding when they see girls skateboarding. I thought if people could see all kinds of girls, all around the world, on all types of boards, and at all skill levels they’d believe #girlscanskate.

In the two years I’ve been blogging I’ve found more girls skating then I ever could have imagined, in places I’d never heard of, and using skating to create positive change.

For the blog’s 2nd anniversary I wanted to celebrate some of the photographers who make these pictures possible. I love & appreciate all the people out there taking & sharing skate photos – so know that in addition to the photographers featured there are many more out there who tell the story of #girlscanskate.

Plus I wanted to put an end to the myth that gender plays a role in photography, so this series features female skate photographers.

Each post will share some of the photographer’s favorite photos. Why they choose to shoot girl’s skateboarding. And where you can find more of their work.

This is the first post and it’s with the amazing Zorah Quattlebaum.

Each photographer chose which questions to answer and what photos they wanted to share.

SF: How/when did you start photographing skateboarding? Do you skateboard?

Zorah: I started photographing myself skateboarding when I was about 12 up until I turned 16, I would set my little point and shoot camera on the opposite side of my mini ramp and time my tricks based on the 10 second count down setting.

I picked up my first skateboard when I was 10 years old. I was constantly watching skating videos and reading Thrasher magazine religiously, so I would study how tricks were meant to look, I lived and breathed skateboarding.

The summer I turned 16, I signed up for the photography program at Woodward East. I was a regular at Woodward, returning to the skating program every summer since I was 10 but I remember seeing fellow campers walking around camp with cameras and immediately went down to the office to switch programs. During my week as a photo camper, my instructors introduced me to professional skateboarders like Sean Malto and Mike Mo. They both took time to sit for portraits while my instructor was giving me hands on instruction with interacting with professionals as well as teaching me about the flashes we were using at the time. After my week as a photo camper, I was offered a 2 week internship in the photo department. I returned as a photo intern for the next 3 years.

I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today without the support from the Digital Media department at Woodward.

SF: How did you get involved with shooting skater girls?

Zorah: I started shooting photos of my best friend Charlotte Tegen after that first summer as a photo intern, I met Charlotte that same summer at Woodward. I would take weekend trips to NYC to visit her and we could skate around the city and shoot photos together.

Charlotte

Charlotte moved to Baltimore about 2 years ago for school, we go out skating/shooting multiple times a week. I encourage her to try tricks she’s never tried before and we always get a killer shot at the end of our session.
Back in the fall of 2015, I sent out emails requesting information about summer internships from multiple companies, including MAHFIA.TV . A few months passed until I finally received a response, the one and only response I received was from Kim Woozy, founder of MAHFIA. We had a phone meeting the next day and she told me she checked out my website and loved the work that I was doing and extended an invitation to Wheels of Fortune in Seattle and X Games in Austin to be the primary photographer for both Women’s skate events!

Alexis Sablone X Games Austin 2016

It was a dream come true, honestly. I was able to meet and work side by side with my favorite female skaters, women whom I looked up to since I was a kid. It’s such an honor to call them my friends now, all of them are unique in their own way and absolutely kill it. I look forward to working with all of them more in the upcoming months as I relocate myself to Los Angeles from Baltimore, Maryland.

SF: Did/do you have role models or people/organizations that continue to encourage and support your photography?

Zorah: Of course I have to give credit to my parents first, they always supported my photography and encouraged me to follow my dreams. I was born into a family of artists and photographers, I played with cameras instead of toys most of the time as a kid!

Now as an adult, I’m beyond thankful for the support I’ve received from the MAHFIA.TV and WSA family! Kim Woozy, Mimi Knoop, and the enormous crew of pro girls that encourage and support me more than I could ever imagine! We all have such bright futures ahead of us and I’m so honored to be a part of the female skating revolution! Big things are coming, we can all feel it!

Mariah Duran X Games Austin 2016

SF: Where can people see your work?

Zorah: You can find my work on my website (www.zoraholivia.com), my instagram (ZorahOlivia), and MAHFIA.TV! I’m always looking for girls to shoot photos of, don’t be afraid to reach out!

Jordyn Barrett X Games Austin 2016

Life is about connecting with others so we can learn ad grow from each other, let’s shoot some photos and make memories!

Thanks Zorah can’t wait till you move to LA & I get to meet you in person.

Zorah – it’s hard finding photographs of the photgraphers – at Element Skate Camp summer 2016

This was just the first post on girls out there shooting girls skateboarding because #girlscanskate – girls are unstoppable especially when they support & lift each other up.

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Hailsonrails

August 18, 2016 Jordan

When I was doing the collage #girlscanskate USA I reached out to skaters and skate shops to find a girl in each state.

Vermont may be small in size but they are mighty with girl power. Thanks to Talent Skatepark I found Hailsonrails aka Hailey Ronconi.

When I asked Hailey why she skates

I skate because it’s insanely fun, mentally and physically challenging, and so so so rewarding to progress and get better – it’s an addicting feeling. I think it’s good for girls to skate because it helps you overcome challenges, work towards goals, and gain confidence both on and off your skateboard. I love helping coach the kids at Talent, especially the younger girls – we see more and more younger girls coming through the park every day!

Oh and if you’re looking for Hailey she’s not always in Vermont – she knows how to travel with her board. Thanks Hailey for sharing your pictures, stories, and coaching other skaters. More people skateboard when they see stylish people skateboarding & get encouragement!

Bridge to Skate Transforming Live through Skateboards

January 26, 2016 Jordan

Bridge to Skate uses skateboarding to transform the lives of youth by creating dynamic new paths to self-confidence, personal empowerment and responsibility for each other and their communities. Bridge to Skate was founded by Chantelle Heroux who wanted to pay it back for some strangers who positively changing her life when they gave her a skateboard. Through her skateboard she learned patience, perseverance and discipline which is what she wants to share now.

pictures Bridge to Skate IG

Here’s my Q&A with Chantelle

SF 1) You were 12 when you got your first skateboard, when did you start Bridge to Skate?

Chantelle: I started giving back through skateboarding prior to establishing Bridge To Skate, but Bridge To Skate became technically established in 2009. I never thought about starting an organization from my ideas- I just wanted to do something, and I felt an obligatory need to help kids the way that I was helped. After attempting to build a skateboard park in Honduras, I was approached by my friend, who proposed the idea.

SF 2) Bridge to Skate supports all skateboarders about how many boards to you give out a year? What percentage of that is girls?

Chantelle: Every year, we give out at least 365 skateboard completes through our Skateboard Recipient Program. Probably about a third of those go to females. We have a network of shops and people that donate their old gear to us. Anything that still has life, we’ll use to create skateboard completes to give away. With all the old unusable equipment, we host art clinics. It’s a really cool system because something that is useless to one person can create a dream for another. In addition to that- it keeps thousands of pounds of trash from landfills.

SF 3) Do you see more girls being interested in skateboarding here in America, abroad, all over?

Chantelle: Although skateboarding roots are in the United States, and there is a huge, growing female skateboard scene here, I feel like it’s growing even faster abroad. A lot of nations, like Honduras, don’t really know whether the sport is ‘male’ or ‘female’, so very protective mothers allow their girls to participate. Bridge To Skate built a small skateboard park in a mountain town in Honduras, and it’s very evident who’s taking it seriously- and it’s the females. It’s a really exciting time for female skateboarding worldwide. I think a lot is going to change in the next few years.

SF 4) If someone wants to help but they can’t with money – maybe they’re like me too young for a job – how can they help Bridge to Skate?

Chantelle: We have so many different ways to get involved with Bridge To Skate. Most of our volunteers are actually youth between 12- 18. If there’s a Bridge To Skate program existing in their neighborhood, we can always use extra help. Or, if there isn’t- we have a Youth Empowerment Program that allows youth to start their own movement. Youth can also always chip-in by saving their old equipment (even if they think it’s trash) and donate it to our program.

SF 5) Loved the picture of a girl getting a board from Bridge to Skate on IG. Do you support people after they get a board with lessons – not that giving boards isn’t the greatest gift of all, just wondering what other rad acts of kindness Bridge to Skate does?

Chantelle: Certainly. Most of the skateboards we give away are in areas that have existing programs. We’re constantly having contests (which always have a girls category) and learn-to-skate lessons. Most of the boards we give away go to people that have never owned a skateboard before. Occasionally, we’ll give completes away to youth that had their board stolen, or we’ll swap out a really bad board ( ‘walmart’ skateboards) for something that is usable. When the equipment wears or breaks, we’ll sustain it by providing more usable gear (often not new) to keep kids on board. We also have a Mentorship program to make sure our youth stay motivated and moving forward.

Bridge to Skate definitely an organization/movement that supports girls skateboarding – Thank You Bridge to Skate! And I hope to work more with you in the years to come.

We’re almost out of days in January – and we are moving our focus to Canadian Skater Girls in February – but in keeping with January’s theme of celebrating people who help others learn to sk8 – me paying it back for that boy who taught me to kick turn when he really could have rolled far far away – in March we’ll be back celebrating those who inspire.

Yes my mission is getting more girls skateboarding for fun and it’s only fun when everyone is encouraged to skateboard so keep sharing your stories about those who inspire girls and/or boys. See below how Bridge to Skate worked with Camp Woodward in Season 7 to inspire all skateboarders & filmers. Filmers – photographers – video shows so important because more people skateboard when they see people skateboarding! And people/organizations working together is so important to getting more people skateboarding for fun.

If you haven’t seen it yet, check out woodwardcamp’s show ‘Camp Woodward’ featuring our very own, tillmanator3000 (as well as a couple of our favorites- brightonzeuner and jackspicoli)! Thank you (x one million) for making this happen nealhendrix and mikethomastv

Link to watch Camp Woodward Season 7 click here.

Skating Fashionista

Tag Archives: Woodward

Zorah Quattlebaum – photographer

Hailsonrails

Bridge to Skate Transforming Live through Skateboards

Skating & Fashion are Better Together